My Immortal
by DBZHobbit
Summary: Gohan is rushed to hospital with a mysterious illness. Piccolo and the rest of the Son family have to face the fact that they could lose him.


Disclaimer: I don't own DBZ or the song 'My Immortal'  
  
This is set in the three years between Trunks and the Androids. I've only used parts of the song that fitted with the story.  
  
Piccolo ran into the hospital as fast as he could. He had been meditating on a mountainside when Goku had sent him a telepathic message. Gohan had been rushed into ER. He hurried into the emergency room and almost collided with one of the student doctors. After frantically looking for his small friend he was directed to the desk to find where he was. The receptionist was nice; with a calming voice she told him that Gohan had been moved to intensive care (Piccolo's heart skipped a beat) and that she'd get a nurse to show him the way. He declined, he'd find his own way and he'd be faster if he didn't have anyone with him. He flew up the stairs, literally; luckily no one was going up or down them at the time. When he reached the floor he thought the I.C.U was on he stopped and slowly entered the door. He saw Goku and Chi-Chi at the end of a long corridor, he walked towards them and they looked up when they herd him coming, Chi-Chi's eyes were wet and Goku looked like he was in shock. Then Piccolo asked the question that he never wanted to ask, "What's wrong with him?"  
  
Chi-Chi hid her face in Goku's shoulder so Goku had to reply, "No one's sure what it is. He just collapsed; when he didn't come round we brought him here. They've hooked him up to some machine." At this point his voice cracked and he had to clear his throat "Nobody is telling us anything. He's in there, you can look in the window" Goku pointed to a large fraction of the wall opposite which was a window, he then returned to comforting his anxious wife. Piccolo walked slowly to the window. He didn't want to see what was inside; when he did, what he saw made his breath catch and his eyes began to water. Gohan was lying in a bed; he was pale, almost transparent. The whole of his little body was covered in wires and drips, some of the machines that he was connected to bleeped every now and again. A pump next to his bed made him breath and there was a doctor taking notes on a clipboard. Piccolo put his hand on the cold glass, his breath was fogging up his view and tears started to trickle down his cheeks. His best friend was fading away.  
  
**** These wounds won't seem to heal This pain is just too real There's just too much that time cannot erase  
  
When you cried I'd wipe away all of your tears When you'd scream I'd fight away all of your fears I held your hand through all of these years But you still have All of me  
  
****  
  
A few hours later Gohan was still in the same state he was before. Piccolo was sitting in a chair across from the window holding his head in his hands. Goku was pacing and Chi-Chi was getting them all some coffee. She had stopped crying and had resorted to getting coffee and even trying to clean the already sterile halls. Everyone copes with grief in their own way so the men had left her to it, they knew better than to argue with her anyway. Chi-Chi had just come back when the doctor who was previously taking notes came out to talk to them.  
  
Gohan's heart was failing.  
  
After the doctor returned to Gohan's room they were all in shock, Chi-Chi looked like she was going to cry again but instead she took a deep breath and went to get more coffee. Even though they hadn't touched the cup she had just given them. Piccolo continued to stare at the floor through his fingers and Goku went up to the glass to look at Gohan who was gradually getting paler in his bed. It was then that a thought sprung into Piccolo's mind "Goku?" he didn't answer. Piccolo got up and put his hand on his friends shoulder "Goku?" Goku's head turned to face him, his eyes were wet and he looked as if he wanted to curl up and sob. "What is it Piccolo?"  
  
"What if Trunks got it wrong?"  
  
"What? What does Trunks have to do with this?"  
  
"Each timeline differs slightly from the previous. In Trunks' time you die from an unknown heart disease but what if it's different in this time? What if it's Gohan instead?"  
  
"You mean that Gohan could have that heart disease instead of me?"  
  
"Yes, didn't Trunks give you some medicine?"  
  
"Yeah, but it's at home. I couldn't leave here for more than a minute"  
  
"Goku, you can use instant translocation and be back in five seconds"  
  
"Oh yeah." Piccolo couldn't quite believe that even in a situation like this Goku still managed to be his usual child-like self. When he disappeared Piccolo sat back down and waited for Chi-Chi to come back so he could explain to her. For now, he just sat and watched Gohan.  
  
***  
  
These wounds won't seem to heal This pain is just too real There's just too much that time cannot erase  
  
When you cried I'd wipe away all of your tears When you'd scream I'd fight away all of your fears I held your hand through all of these years But you still have All of me ***  
  
Goku returned with the medicine just as Chi-Chi came back. They both explained to her what they thought they could do to save Gohan. The next time the Doctor came to see them they asked him if they could try it. He wasn't sure but said that if this gave them enough hope to think that Gohan will get better then they could see if it works. The medicine was given to Gohan and they waited. And they waited. And they waited. After four hours nothing had changed. If anything, Gohan had gotten paler.  
  
At midnight the thing that they had all feared reared it's ugly head. A long, high-pitched tone erupted from one of the machines attached to the small Saiyan. Suddenly the room was filled with people in white coats. Piccolo, Chi-Chi and Goku jumped up to try and see what was going on. Piccolo, obviously the tallest of the three, managed to see the shockers (the things they yell "Clear!" with). After about five minutes all the fussing stopped and the cover was pulled over Gohan's face. Chi-Chi started to wail and Goku stood in shock. Piccolo thought that he felt his heart break, he slowly slid down the glass until his knees landed on the floor. He leaned his head against the glass and cried. He didn't care if anyone saw him, he let it all out, tears were streaming down his cheeks and he found himself sobbing so hard that he started to hyperventilate. His best friend was gone, his energy had slipped away and Gohan had left him forever. He couldn't take it; he started to pound his fists on the ground. He pounded and cried so hard that he blacked out.  
  
When he wakes up he will feel just as bad. He will be alone again, just like he was before he met Gohan. Gohan hoped that Piccolo would be able to move on and still be friends with all the others. He would miss him. But he was sure that they would live on in each other's hearts, like real best friends should.  
  
***  
  
I've tried so hard to tell myself that you're gone But though you're still with me I've been alone all along  
  
When you cried I'd wipe away all of your tears When you'd scream I'd fight away all of your fears I held your hand through all of these years But you still have All of me  
  
*** 


End file.
